How to Make Fish and Chips

Co-authored by Michael Caffrey

Last Updated: May 20, 2024 Approved

Fish and chips is a popular British take-out food, composed of battered and breaded fish deep-fried in oil with a side of deep-fried potatoes. Surprisingly easy, especially if you have a deep-fryer, this classic dish is famous on both sides of the Atlantic for a good reason.

Ingredients

2 large (8-ounce) cod or haddock fillets
3-4 large Russet potatoes
Vegetable oil for frying

Batter

2 cups of flour, plus 1/2 cup separate for dredging
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black or cayenne pepper (both for spicier fish)
1 can brown beer or 1 beaten egg + 12-ounces soda water
1 teaspoon ground pepper and/or salt (optional)
1/2 cup of either cold water, buttermilk, or cold beer

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Prepping the Chips (1st Fry)

1
Chop your potatoes into long fries, roughly the thickness of your index finger. You can cut the fries any width you want, but try to keep them all a uniform thickness. This helps them cook evenly. To get good chips, use a V-slicer with a wide blade,^{[1]
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- Rinse and scrub the outside of the potatoes to remove dirt. Leave the skin.
- Cut the potato in half, lengthwise.
- Take your two halves and cut them in half again, this time through the sides. You should be left with four "planks" of potato.
- Cut these planks into strips.
- Cut the strips, if desired, into shorter individual fries.
2
Optionally, soak the potatoes in cold water for 1-2 hours. This slightly tenderizes them, giving them more moisture inside so that you get a creamier texture inside the chips. If you do soak them, drain them of water and pat dry with paper towels before proceeding.
- These fries could even soak overnight if you feel like working in advance.
- Make sure, if you plan to soak the potatoes, the oil isn't burning on your stove!^{[2]
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3
Get a deep pan and coat the bottom with three inches of vegetable oil, heating to 325F degrees. A large dutch oven or a deep-fryer will work best. You will need to know how hot the oil is to get the best results, as the fries and fish need to cook at different temperatures for both to come out fully cooked but still tender.
- If you don't have a thermometer, but want to go for it anyway, use medium heat for 325F and medium high for 372F (needed later). Give the oil 2-3 minutes to adjust when changing temperature.^{[3]
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When they come out, they will be pale and floppy. This is good! They shouldn't be completely cooked the first time, as this leads to soggy, not so delicious chips.^{[4]
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Let the chips cool to room temperature before frying the second time. Remove the chips from the hot oil and drain them on a plate full of paper towels. You'll re-fry the chips again after the fish has cooked, which will get them golden brown and delicious.
- The reason for a double-fry is surprisingly complex: water in the potato is bound up in the starch, with less water in the outer edges that you cut through and more in the centers. In the first fry, this water is driven out, but the water in the center only makes it to the edge of the potato, where it forms a coating with the oil and starch as it cools to room temperature. The second fry crisps up this ^{[5]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Battering and Frying the Fish

You can use any type of fish you like; in the U.K. they usually use cod for their fish and chips. If your fish has been in the freezer, take it out and put it in your fridge overnight so it thaws out, but stays cool and fresh.
Turn up to medium and let the oil get nice and hot while you prepare the batter for the fish fry. The oil should not be dirty from the potatoes, as it takes a while to overuse oil, but if it is discolored then you should replace the oil and re-heat it.^{[6]
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3
Whisk together your batter in a bowl and set aside for 15 minutes in the fridge. If you're in a rush, you don't need to actually let the batter sit, though this does help the flavors blend slightly. You'll not that the ingredients have two different liquid components -- a beer-batter and a more traditional egg + water batter. One cup of milk or buttermilk could also be substituted, depending on your tastes and kitchen supplies.
- The batter will be thin and liquidy -- this is fine.
- This recipe uses 2 cups of flour. Save the other 1/2 cup for the next step.^{[7]
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4
Toss the potatoes back into the hot oil for 2-3 minutes to finish cooking. The oil should be 375F, and the potatoes should be room temperature. This method will develop the delicious, golden-brown crunch of great chips. Most cooks will remove the potatoes from the oil before proceeding, keeping them hot in the oven after draining once more on paper towels.
- Adventurous cooks can go the traditional way and cook the fish on the potatoes. To do so, skip ahead and prepare the fish, then add the potatoes right before you add the fish in. Remove together and drain at the same time.^{[8]
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5
Lightly dredge the fish in flour to help the batter stick. Simply dust the fish in flour, as this will help the liquid batter stick to the fish instead of sliding right off. You can also use cornmeal or rice flour to help the batter adhere.
- The entire fish should be dusted with flour when done.
Hold it by the tail to ensure most of the fish gets coated. You just want to work with one piece at a time. This is a thin batter that will try to slip off the slick fish quickly, so it's best to focus on one at at time.
As it hits the hot oil, the batter should rapidly cook and harden onto the outside of the fish. If you just drop it in, however, any batter not touching the hot oil will "melt" right off in the oil and won't stick to the fish.
After you've gotten the first piece in, you can move on to the other pieces until that one is done. Remember to work quickly, and get the pieces out before they burn. If the outside looks tasty and golden-brown, you're good to go.^{[9]
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9
Drain everything on newspaper (or paper towels) and liberally add salt. The traditional English dish drains paper towels, then rolls everything into a cone on the greasy paper and serves the fish with a bit of salt and paper. You can also drain on oven racks or with paper towels, of course. Enjoy with malt vinegar or tartar sauce.^{[10]
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- Add the salt while everything is still hot to help it spread out better.
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Question

Can I use salmon for the fish?

Community Answer

Sure. It's up to your personal preference. However, white fish is more commonly used, such as tilapia or grouper. Mahi mahi is also a good choice.

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Can I add 2 tablespoons of salt?

DogeConomy

Community Answer

Sure! You can add as much salt as you like, to your liking. This is your food you're making, after all! If you're making this recipe for family, friends etc, take into consideration how they like their food seasoned (i.e., don't add too much salt to their portions).

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